Apple is now blocking older versions of the Adobe Flash web plugin, advising users to upgrade to the latest version in order to continue using it. This is due to a recent vulnerability that could cause user data to be lost to attackers exploiting the issue on a number of vulnerable sites.

Users running older versions should now see a "Flash Out of Date" button where the plugin would normally be, and have issued instructions for updating Flash on the Apple Support website. Anyone that needs to run an older version of Flash can run it in Unsafe Mode in Safari 6.1.

Flash continues to be an important part of the web experience for so many people, it's sad that it remains so insecure. OS X no longer comes with Flash pre-installed, and some users have taken to using Chrome when they need Flash so they don't have to install it directly to OS X.

Do you still install Flash separately, and what do you think of this latest security issue? Let us know below in the comments.